A repeated theme from people who has trained for more than a few years, and that is you got to train smart. I was told that when you are young, you can shrug off pain, but as you get older you have to be careful. The older you get, the longer it will take to recover. Therefore, you must train smarter as you get older. Ask Ed Coan, a world leading powerlifter. After training for 20 years, his training philosophy is to not push his body past the limit.
A few key points when you train:
Listen to your body.
Recovery and nutrition is essential.
The older you are, the longer it will take to recover.
Stick to a routine, don't jump weights because of ego. Train for yourself and not for others!
If an injury do occur, treat it immediately: RICE, Heat, Massage Therapy, Physiotherapy, etc.
Get enough sleep, 7-8 hours is optimal but as you get older, you can push it to 9 or 10...
